AKA ERNIE 9:51 Thu Oct 13
Vietnam holiday tips
|
|
Off to vietnam in Novemeber for 2 and a half weeks.
Flying into Hanoi and then home from Ho Chi Minh.
Any tips on what to do or what to avoid.
Is haylong bay worth 2 days ?
Going trekking up in the mountains in the north as well as going to hue Hoi An
Thanks for any ideas
|
|
|
Replies - In Chronological Order ( Show Newest Messages First)
joe royal
9:54 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Www.paulgadd.com
|
Grumpster
9:56 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Sucky sucky ten dollar
|
AKA ERNIE
9:59 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
note to self get $10 bills out
|
On The Ball
10:01 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Hoi An is absolutely lovely. Nice beach and wonderful old town (which is a few miles inland). Lots of restaurants, bars and lantern shops - but they make for a wonderful sight at night.
|
AKA ERNIE
10:07 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Cheers otb does look stunning
|
On The Ball
10:10 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
That's the only place I've been as we went to other countries on that trip, but I must say that Ha Long Bay looks WELL worth two days to me.
|
Willtell
10:23 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
I went there for 3 weeks in February after our daughter got a job there teaching English. I found Vietnam a bit mehhh with polution hanging over Hanoi and dead fish floating on lakes.
When crossing the streets in Hanoi you just have to not look and walk out into the traffic (mostly motorbikes). They will not look you in the eye and they don't get angry they do though ride around you. I got angry trying to cross on zebras a couple of times when motorbikes came close but they just ignore any shouted threats and fist waving - they just don't do it.
Haylong Bay is a beautiful place ruined by the boat workers that dump their rubbish (not the tourists). The Vietnamise are just not ecologically clean. The flotilla of plastic bottles and other rubbish rather takes the gloss off Haylong Bay after 2 days although there are some beautiful caves to see.
As for Hanoi. Well it's the only place I have ever seen a cross roads traffic jam made up entirely of motorcycles! Just so many of them in Hanoi that take no notice of traffic lights so they just jam up junctions. I have a tee shirt that shows Green light - Green means GO. Amber Light - means be careful but go. Red Light - means you can still go...
The trains aren't too bad but we warned not to buy off the official Vietnamese food sellers on the train but the locals seemed to enjoy it. It's quite a sight to see the slums that pack either side of the railway line that runs through Hanoi and the people move their street furniture off the lines in time for the 2 trains a day.
One really good thing is that you can stock up on North Face (made there) clothing and back packs that you have to bargain strongly for or get robbed. Shoes are not really savings and my wife had a really nice summer dress made for about €70 but food and hotels are really cheap although we didn't do any of the street food because restaurants were so good and cheap.
There are loads of really good beaches but February was their winter and although it was warm we only walked along some of them. Loads of temples and palaces if you like that sort of thing. The museums are weird.
We also travelled down through central Vietnam but I was bored by it all and couldn't wait for my return flight. We did a direct Vietnam Air flight which was very good and latest Airbus kit. Watched 4 movies each way.
Good luck Ernie. It wasn't too bad but I don't want to ever go back...
|
JAC
10:24 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Stayed in DaNang but went to Hoi An every night for bars restaurants.
Vietnam is a bit like Thailand was 25 years ago before it got spoilt .
Fantastic place to visit.
|
Willtell
10:29 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Dollars are useless in Vietnam. I took $100 cash for odds and ends and no-one would take them including the taxi drivers. It's too much trouble for them to change them. I had no trouble with cash machines and they are everywhere. Its difficult wrapping your mind around 25,000 dong being worth $1...
|
Russ of the BML
10:55 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Mate, Ha Long bay is well worth two days of your trip. In fact, probably three. We stayed on a junk boat for three nights at the end of our trip as we flew out of Hanoi. It absolutely topped our trip off. Definitely a must do.
We basically went to Saigon and made our way North by coach and one internal flight. We went to Mui Ne, Da Nang, Na Trang and Hoi An. With Saigon and Hanoi as out start and finish points.
I won't go into detail about each of these places. Look them up. Just except to say we loved them all for different reasons. They are all coastal. And relaxing places like Mui Ne and more busier cities like Na Trang (if you go must go the Yacht club). Hoi An is a beautiful city that was colonised by the Chinese as a trading post so has a huge Chinese influence.
Obviously at Saigon you can do the city tour and then go out to Co Chi where all the tunnels are. If you want to get the war experience. Can also shoot proper guns in a live range there. I had a go on an M-62 helicopter gun which was unforgettable. Obviously if that's your thing. Also, well worth doing the trip on the Meekong river. We went into Cambodia for a day and stayed overnight on that trip.
It's very easy to book transport and hotels at your next destination in the little travel shops that are dotted around. The lack of fuss and ease of booking and getting around for good value puts the UK to shame. The longest we stayed on a coach was 11 hours from Na Trang to Hoi An. But they do overnighters with beds. I slept like a log and woke up at 7am when we arrived. The coaches only cost about £5 - £10 depending on distance. And our one internal flight cost us £40 each.
If you want to go more inland I am not an expert as we never did but many people we met said they did and it was superb.
But if you want any more detailed info on anything or any locations etc etc just WHOmail me and I will try and help out.
|
Russ of the BML
10:58 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Hanoi was good. But after starting South and working our way up it had a very grey industrial feel to it after all the beaches and jungles we were used to. And if you think traffic is bad in this country wait till you see the traffic in Hanoi. Jesus!
|
dolph
11:02 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Best holiday i've ever had.
Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon are all worth stops.
Halong bay was nice, but an overnight boat will suffice, i'd suggest.
My best tip - do a motorbike tour. I did the opposite route through vietnam (south to north), and got a motorbike with a mate from Nha Trang to Hoi An. Absolutely incredible ride. Through muntains, and jungle, seeing tribes people, stopping at local places for dinner, and always put up in a nice enough hotel during the night. Couldn't recommend it high enough. Oh, and i'd never ridden a non-automatic bike before.
Have fun, i'm jealous.
|
dolph
11:04 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
oh, in Hanoi make sure you go to beer corner. sit on a ridiculously small plastic stool, and watch the world go by whilst drinking 30p "fresh" beer made that day.
also, eat lots of banh mi (especially in hoi an).
|
Russ of the BML
11:05 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
dolph 11:04 Thu Oct 13
Hahaha Beer corner!! Remember that now. Me and the missus got bladdered and spent £5!!
|
On The Ball
11:12 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Someone on here recommended a place to me that served fresh beer in Hoi An - the food was great, but the beer was hideous! It's drinkable in some places mind you. My memory often doesn't serve, but I'm sure I paid as low as 5p a glass at times.
Russ - what do you do on the boat in the evenings?
|
BetterthanKaka
11:13 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Was there in June.
Hanoi is absolute chaos, but a great city.
Halong Bay - we did a night on a boat there, was incredible.
We also did Phu Quoc, a small island off Vietnam, amazing place.
If you have any time, go to SIEM REAP, Cambodia.
|
riosleftsock
11:16 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
If you can remember it, you weren't there...
Man!
|
AKA ERNIE
11:20 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Thanks all great stuff
Halong def do a night on boat .
Wiltell cherrs mate interesting about dollars books recommend theyre taken everywhere
|
AKA ERNIE
11:22 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Kaka had a week in siem reap tourin ankor watt few yrs ago was stunning mate.
Loved cambodia and laos was never sure about vietnam but giving it a go
|
BetterthanKaka
11:31 Thu Oct 13
Re: Vietnam holiday tips
|
Wasn't fussed about doing Angkor Wat before but glad I did! Pretty spectacular.
|
| 
